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That's the way some critics have described the agreement between Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and billionaire Manuel (Matty) Moroun concerning Riverside Park and a few parcels of riverfront property.

Look, I lived in southwest Detroit for five years and am well aware of the trouble that the Moroun empire has brought to the neighborhood.

My front porch faced the ruins of the family's derelict train station. Bridge-bound trucks ripped up the roads and spewed noxious fumes into the air. Then there were the headaches from the Gateway Project scandal. The failed attempt to amend the state constitution in order to protect his monopoly and stop the publicly owned international bridge was galling. Moroun's goons "seized" Riverside Park. The family bought huge swaths of property and, as many allege, have let them rot.

So trust me when I say that I understand the outrage that stems from the idea of Duggan doing business with the Morouns. But also trust me when I say that a victory for the Morouns is not necessarily a loss for the people of Detroit. Perspective is important. And so is context.

Indeed, this is a deal that benefits the city and the Morouns. Yes, the family gets land it would need if it were ever allowed to build that second span that it has long been dreaming about.

But have you seen what the city gets out of the deal? Have you seen how crummy Riverside Park is now and how amazing the new Riverside Park will be? Have you seen how this deal will continue the miraculous revitalization of the city's riverfront? Everybody wins here, folks.

We're just going to have to acknowledge that sometimes it's OK when the bad guys win if we all win, too.

Besides, from a political standpoint, think of the damage Duggan could do to himself if he were perceived to be cozying up to one of the most disliked families in Michigan. All the Moroun campaign donations in the world wouldn't make up for the number of votes Duggan would lose. For me, that's proof that Duggan is confident this is a good deal — and that he can make the Moroun family follow through with their promises in ways other administrations have not.

Let's take a closer look at the deal.

If approved by the City Council, the Morouns would give Detroit almost 5 acres of waterfront property and $3 million in cash, which is to go toward making a bigger and better Riverside Park. The city hopes to add a new playscape, baseball diamond and soccer field, picnic tables and a spiffier waterfront walkway, but it will ultimately be up to the community to decide which amenities to add the park.

In turn, the city forks over about 3 acres of unused parkland to the Ambassador Bridge Co.

Once the Morouns get the title on the land, they would pay the city another $2 million, which would pay to improve the seawall, extend the promenade and add a fisherman's overlook in 2018. So that's $5 million for a new park for southwest Detroit in exchange for a smaller amount of land that nobody is using, anyway.

Moreover, just because the Moroun family is getting land it needs for the second bridge doesn't mean the Moroun family is getting that second bridge. Acquiring the land on the Detroit side doesn't mean he will get the green light from the Canadian or American governments. Canada has seemed pretty dead-set against it, so unless he's planning on giving the span some sort of Hot Wheels-inspired jump, he's not going to be able to land the bridge on the Windsor side. This deal also does not mean Duggan is endorsing or advocating for the Morouns to get a second span.

Even there, we need to be able to look at the situation and leave the contempt for the Moroun family aside for a second. Three years ago, I, like a vast majority of Michiganders, supported the publicly owned bridge instead of protecting Moroun's monopoly. But that battle has been won. Now, we need to have a frank conversation about what comes 10-20 years down the road.

The geriatric Ambassador Bridge, which has ferried millions of vehicles over the Detroit River since opening in 1929, won't be around forever. At some point, we are going to need to have a conversation about replacing a crucial piece of infrastructure that is nearly 90 years old.

If we truly need two bridges, it might make the most sense to replace the ambassador with a span right next to it. All of the existing infrastructure — ramps, customs, tollbooths, what have you — could be reused. It could be another situation in which all sides — the Morouns' private interests and the public good — are both served by the same solution.

But here we are, because the bridge company's name is attached to the deal to improve Riverside Park, debating whether we want to cut off Detroit's nose just to spite the Morouns.

Let's choose to help Detroit instead of choosing to hurt the billionaire — and ourselves.